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0LFURQHVLDLQ5HYLHZ,VVXHVDQG(YHQWV -XO\WR-XQH Reviews of Kiribati and Nauru are not Summit met 16–17 July in Majuro, included in this issue. Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). This summit dovetailed with FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA the 11th Micronesian Chief Execu- This review covers a portion of the tives’ Summit, which was held 14–16 president’s and vice president’s travel; July and included state governors of the Micronesia Presidents’ Summit the Micronesian entities. The members in Majuro, Republic of the Marshall of the Micronesian Presidents’ Sum- Islands; proposed amendments to the mit are the presidents of the FSM, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) the RMI, and the Republic of Palau Constitution; the issue of acting Presi- (RP). Then-RMI President Litokwa dent Peter Christian’s return to public Tomeing expressed his view that the life; and several ambassadors’ presen- people of Micronesia are “helpless tation of credentials. victims of global forces such as climate July 2009 saw both President change, financial and economic down- Emanuel (Manny) Mori and Vice turns, and an energy crisis”; he also President Alik Alik traveling to foreign expressed the hope “that Micronesia capitals. President Mori traveled to will stand up to the challenges and Noumea, New Caledonia, to attend fashion for itself a solid foundation for the Third France-Oceania Summit on genuine individual cooperation and 31 July. Accompanying the president support.” were his wife, Emma Nelson-Mori; FSM President Mori told the Secretary of Foreign Affairs Lorin gathering, “Given the multitude of Robert; and Fabian Nimea, director challenges we continue to face, either of the Office of Statistics, Budget and together or individually, it is in our Economic Management, Overseas collective interest to have an inclusive Development Assistance, and Compact discussion on concrete issues affecting Managment (sboc). Vice President us all and to maximize and explore Alik traveled to Beijing to meet with ways of pooling resources for collec- the Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping tive benefits.” He concluded his speech on 9 July. Mr Alik rounded out his by saying, “After all, it is given that visit to China with an inspection of we would achieve much better results the newly established FSM Embassy at by working closely together as one. the Jiangoumenwai Diplomatic Com- This naturally would only strengthen pound and a meeting with the embassy our Micronesia region, and would no staff and FSM students attending doubt enhance our Micronesian spirit various schools in the country (FSM of partnership and solidarity. We need Information Services 2009c, 2009b). each other now more than ever.” The 9th Micronesian Presidents’ RP President Johnson Toribiong 172 pol i t ical reviews micronesia 173 committed himself “with 100% effort who is eligible for the office of the to work in full cooperation to build president. upon the issues of the past summit If the citizenship amendment is meetings and find solutions to over- approved, the assumption is that the come the challenges [of climate change FSM Congress will enact a citizenship and energy problems] before them.” statute that would allow dual citi- He encouraged his colleagues to com- zenship, but what shape that statute mit themselves to “work together at would take, no one currently knows. every forum.” President Toribiong Voters are being asked to ratify underlined the importance of coop- deletion of the citizenship provision eration by quoting General Douglas without the benefit of seeing the text MacArthur, who said, “Defeat is just of the new provision, in effect giving another word for too late”; Toribiong the FSM Congress the power to enact encouraged his colleagues to heed a new citizenship law without voter MacArthur’s advice “and act now, input. This will be the fourth consecu- before it’s too late” (FSM Information tive attempt to amend the citizenship Services 2009a). provision of the FSM Constitution; In this summit, the three presi- the same proposal failed to be ratified dents adopted the theme of the Chief three times previously. Executives’ Summit, which addressed The push in the FSM Congress for climate change, energy challenge, and dual citizenship is purportedly based proactive leadership for a resilient on the desire for FSM citizens serving Micronesia. It remains to be seen in the US armed forces to acquire US whether the overwhelming support citizenship and become military offi- the three presidents expressed for cers without losing their FSM citizen- joint effort and collaboration among ship. Since those wishing to acquire their respective countries will trans- US citizenship must go through the late into a united effort to acquire naturalization process, which includes affordable fuel and create a Micro- a renunciation of all other allegiances nesian group in the Pacific Islands and citizenships when taking the Forum. oath, some feel that dual FSM / US President Mori issued a presidential citizenship is impossible. If this is true order that three constitutional amend- (which is arguable), the people who ments be put to the voters for ratifi- would really benefit from this pro- cation in the March 2011 national posed amendment are the US-born election for FSM Congress. Two of sons and daughters of FSM citizens the proposed amendments originated who currently must renounce their US from the 15th FSM Congress, includ- citizenship if they wish to retain their ing one that would repeal the citizen- FSM one. Many observers are won- ship provision (section 3, article III) dering whether the FSM Congress is of the national constitution, leaving only pushing the dual citizenship issue nothing in its place, and another that because it would benefit the US-born would provide for four-year terms for children of government officials. all members of congress. The third Another possible concern about proposed amendment would clarify dual citizenship is that it could allow 174 the contemporary pacific 23:1 (2011) non-nationals the right to own land Intrm 498 [Chk 2002]). So the argu- in the FSM. The constitution restricts ment that the two-year term members landownership to citizens and there need more time to implement their are fears that allowing dual citizen- programs is probably more imaginary ship would greatly expand the num- than real. ber of people born outside the FSM To put this proposed amendment in who qualify as possible landowners. proper perspective, the voters should The decisions that the voters will look at members of congress as elected need to make are (1) whether such an public guardians with responsibili- important national issue as citizen- ties and accountability to the general ship should be left to the congress to public. Election is the only means to legislate; (2) whether or not they trust hold the members accountable. As a the congress to craft fair and adequate tool for evaluating the performance dual citizenship legislation; and (3) of members of congress, the two-year whether it is a good idea to open the interval of electing the ten representa- door for citizens of other countries to tives in the FSM Congress is appropri- acquire FSM citizenship in view of the ate, in my opinion; the people deserve fact that citizenship is directly linked to pass judgment on the performance to landownership. of their representatives more fre- The second proposed amendment quently than every four years. Most would lengthen the terms of the ten observers feel that what prompted this two-year members of congress to four proposed amendment is two-year-term years. The two-year members of the members’ desire for job security and national congress argue that two years continued access to the substantial is too short for them to carry out their financial perks of their position. programs. If the 16th FSM Congress The third proposed amendment is is an indicator, no new major legisla- necessary “to accurately define who tive initiative was undertaken. In fact, is eligible . to become President all 39 congressional acts that became [and Vice President] of the FSM.” public laws during that congress were The amendment merely clarifies that amendments to existing public laws, only “at-large, 4-year member[s] of and of these 39 public laws, 14 dealt Congress are eligible to become Presi- with pork-barrel legislation, that is, dent of the FSM” (FSM Information government spending intended to Services 2009f). benefit legislators’ local constitu- In last year’s review, I reported the ents in return for their support. The untimely passing of Resio Moses, who practice of pork-barrel legislation had served as Pohnpei state at-large is wasteful and has, in a case where senator and vice speaker of the FSM a national FSM senator providing Congress (Haglegam 2010). The vot- the funds retained final approval of ers in Pohnpei elected Peter Christian the projects, been ruled by the FSM to succeed Moses in a special election Supreme Court as a violation of the held on 20 October 2009. Christian is constitutional doctrine of separation a veteran of twenty-eight years in the of powers in the national government FSM Congress. He is the last member (Udot Municipality v FSM, 10 FSM of the 1st FSM Congress who still pol i t ical reviews micronesia 175 remains active in national politics. He power to his designee as acting presi- was also one of Micronesia’s chief dent. In section 2 of the same article, negotiators of the second Compact the framers of the national constitu- of Free Association with the United tion used the adverb “expressly” to States. Mr Christian brings to the vest specific powers in the president. Pohnpei at-large seat his extensive This word means fully and clearly experience in government and busi- expressed. In other words, it means ness, as well as an explicit ambition that the constitutional powers of the to seek the FSM presidency (FSM FSM president are unambiguously Information Services 2009e).

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